1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for and a method of controlling blood flow using a magnetic field. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus for and a method of achieving optimally improved blood flow by evaluating a change in blood flow caused by a magnetic field after application of the magnetic field to a living body and providing biofeedback of the results to a user so that the user can control the intensity of the magnetic field and the time the magnetic field is applied.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, blood flow can be understood as the flow of blood within a body. Blood flow directly or indirectly affects the health of that body. If there is poor blood flow to the stomach and intestines, a gastroenteric disorder occurs. If blood does not flow properly to the legs, the legs ache, if blood does not flow properly to the knees, arthritis occurs, or if blood does not flow properly to the heart, then heart disease develops. If blood flow to the brain is poor, headaches occur or brain functions decrease. In serious cases, poor blood flow may result in a cerebral infarction, cerebral apoplexy, cerebral hemorrhage, or the like. If blood flow to the lungs is poor, lung diseases occur. In short, if blood flow to any part of the body is not proper, and oxygen and nutrients are not adequately supplied to those parts of the body, waste matters, which results from metabolism, are not removed, and thus pain occurs and diseases develop.
When blood flow difficulties occur in the body, the blood flow can be improved in various ways. For example, blood flow may be improved by warming the body, increasing flexibility of muscles, exercising, taking medications designed to improve blood flow, applying pressure to specific areas of the body using fingers to spread the waste matters to other parts of the body, or directly extracting dead red and white blood cells from different regions of the body.
Recently, active research has been conducted into treating pain and diseases by improving blood flow using a magnetic field. It is well known that such research is greatly effective.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional therapeutic device using an electrical connection between a magnetic boot and an electrical source.
One example of such research includes a therapeutic device, as shown in FIG. 1, configured as a magnetic boot 200 to create a magnetic field. The magnetic boot 200 includes an insulated inner layer (not shown), a frame (not shown) formed on the insulated inner layer, wires (not shown) covering the frame, and an outer layer 218. The wires are connected to an electrical source 214 via external cables 215. A magnetic field is the strongest at a tip 220 of the magnetic boot 200. However, the effects of improving blood circulation using the therapeutic device described above are not supported by systematic experiments or data.
In addition, conventional methods of and devices for improving blood circulation usually use medicine or mechanical stimulus, e.g., massage. Particularly, conventional methods for improving blood circulation using new medicine compositions are common. However, there are side effects when blood circulation is improved using pharmaceutical compositions according to the conventional methods. These side effects can cause more serious harm as compared to the benefits obtained by improving the blood circulation of the body.
Other conventional methods include measuring a change in the blood flow of the entire body using impedance and a method of measuring the blood flow of a specific part of the body and providing feedback of the results to a device. However, it is difficult to evaluate the effects of these methods properly.
Still another conventional method includes a method of and apparatus for monitoring a hemodynamic status of a patient by examining blood flow of a specific area of the patient, in which data can be conveyed routinely and automatically. However, such method and apparatus are difficult to use and cannot be applied to all patients.
Therefore, it is difficult to know the actual improvement in blood flow achieved for each person being treated.